


The Stars

by Death



Series: The Stars [1]
Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Climbing class oh my lord..., Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, NSFW, oh my god I didn't think I'd make the second chapter so steamy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-24 16:51:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4927498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Death/pseuds/Death
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three months after the disappearance of his twin sisters, Josh puts on a brave face as he tries to cope with their loss. Chris know's Josh, and see's through the acts he puts on for the sake of his friends. Having enough of Josh's refusal to allow anyone to help him through Hannah and Beth's disappearance, Chris takes Josh for a late night drive that results in the most unforgettable experience of both their lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm complete trash for Chris and Josh and I didn't even know it till I was half-way through writing this... Thanks for dropping by lol, hope you like The Neighbourhood. Enjoy!!!

He drove himself over to Josh’s house with single-minded determination, he was going to make his friend feel better. To bring him a sense of self as he cried or laughed or let out whatever pent up emotions he was holding back from the world. Josh needed a release, and Chris would be there.

Three months had passed since Hannah and Beth’s disappearances, and Josh was barely holding himself upright. He seemed alright. He would smile at the right times, but not as big as he usually did. He would laugh, but it wasn’t as contagious. He was still Joshua, but he didn’t act like it. He acted like a replica, a thing that lacked some vital piece that let you recognize it as the real thing. Chris thought that he held within himself the piece that would complete the replica, thus bringing forth the real Josh. His best friend and partner in crime and hilarity. He had to have the piece. If he didn’t he had no idea what would happen to Josh.

It was dark out, cold as September often was, and when Chris looked at his car’s dashboard clock, it read 12:08AM. 

He pulled his phone out of his pocket as he parked at the end of Josh’s driveway. It was a long twisting thing that lead up to a massive and prestigious looking white house. For a kid that should have had everything, Josh always seemed to get the short end of the stick.

 _ **U better b home.**_ He texted, and within a few seconds he got a response.

_**Uuuuh why do u ask?** _

_**Look out ur front hallway window.** _

As if on cue, right when Chris looked up to the window, he saw Josh’s body come into view. As they made eye contact he saw Josh smile and shake his head as he always did when Chris did something that confused him. Chris smiled back whole-heartedly, for a moment forgetting that he had a bigger goal in mind other than simply seeing his friend, but when Josh looked to his phone Chris did the same.

 _ **What do u want lol.** _ Texted Josh, and Chris shrugged to himself. What _did_ he want? Something in his gut was telling him that it was more than just to see Josh and make him feel better.

 _ **Come find out!**_ He texted back, proud of himself for seeming so mysterious

_**Well where are we going?** _

_**Good question.** _

_**Dude you r so up 2 something.** _

_**When am I NOT tbh?** _

Chris looked up at the window and saw Josh smiling at his phone as he turned and ran back down the hallway, and within a few minutes he saw him come running toward the car from around the corner of his house. He must have snuck out through the back, his parents hated when he went out to late.

As he reached the car and pulled the passenger sides door open, the boys smiled at each other as they put their fists up and bumped them into each others.

“Alright you got me man, now whats up?"

“Meh, now don’t kill me, but I don’t know actually, I just wanted to go for a drive.”

“Well _‘where to miss?’_ ” whispered Josh, his voice low and hilariously seductive as he imitated Leonardo Dicaprio from Titanic.

“The _stars_ ,” Chris whispered back as he closed his eyes, and Josh’s laugh made him crack up as well.

* * *

 Chris let Josh play his music as he drove down the road, and eventually he turned down a back road that lead to another, and then another. They were now traveling down a dirt road - if it even counted as a road - seemingly cutoff from society as they drove through a heavily forested area.

Just as Chris accepted the fact that he may have gotten lost, he looked to Josh, and saw that he was looking up and out the window. His navy blue vest caught the moons light every so often, and it made Chris look to the Josh’s chest much more than he wanted to.

“Chris,” said Josh, jolting Chris out of his silent staring contest with Josh’s chest. “We’ve done some crazy stuff on these late night escapades, but none of em have lead us to the Amish Country. Where are we?”

“Good question,” Chris shrugged, and Josh shook his head as he leaned forward and swiped hard at the car’s volume switch, making AWOLNATION blast through the car.

Josh could sing, and it was mystifying. He loved this band, and Chris had grown into it over time as Josh played the album over and over again. He knew this song. Not Your Fault. It made him feel like he could take on anything, and with Josh in the passenger seat, maybe he could.

The song blasted through its chorus, shaking the car’s foundation as Chris finally gave in and screamed along with Josh. It was a miracle, driving with Josh down a forest road that lead to God knew where. It was almost romantic. And then came a clearing, the dirt path opening up onto a steppe the likes of which neither of the boys had ever seen. It was massive, the grass not as high as it was in the forest, and wild flowers grew in bundled heaps as they fought against the chill of October air.

“Dude,” said Josh. “What’s this?”

“The stars, apparently,” Chris said, but he wasn’t looking at Josh as Josh was at him, instead his gaze was fixed on the upper half of his window, and when Josh did as Chris had and looked out his own window, he instantly broke into a smile.

“Did you plan this?” he asked, and Chris looked back to him as he shrugged and smiled.

“I actually didn’t even know if this place existed till now, Jessica said Mike brought her up here once, and I had no idea that it would be this… Stunning either.”  
They both brought their attention back to the night sky as they rolled their windows down, letting in the breeze that swept across the field, stirring up leaves and flower petals as it did so.

The sky was something that neither of them could describe, a mix of beauty and wonder. The moon was a big ball of orange in the sky, but the light it cast across the field was pure and soft and white. The smell of decaying flowers, usually overpowering at that time of year, was mellowed out by the scent of freshly mown grass and rain soaked earth. Stars dotted the sky, a myriad that burned so brightly against the violent black of space that it looked almost surreal.

“It’s like… HD or something,” said Josh, stealing the words straight from Chris’s mouth.

“1080P res,” Chris added, and Josh held his fist up close to Chris, and without looking the two bumped fists.

Then a song came on shuffle from Josh’s iPod that Chris hadn’t heard in a long time. Like most of the songs he had come to love, he heard them first from Josh.  
“This song always felt so sad to me. Alleyways right? By the Neighbourhood,” he said, and Josh looked over at him as he seemed to come back to the present moment for the first time.

“You’ve been studying young Padawan, nice one. Thats great and all but seriously bro, why did you bring me here, and… I’m alright, really. I hope this doesn’t turn into one of those emotional movie moments.”

“Well it doesn’t have to, but… I don’t know, maybe its more selfish than that,” said Chris, and his eyes dropped to the steering wheel.

“What do you mean?”

“I took you out here to try and break you out of whatever funk you’re in, but-”

“Well your twin sisters pulling a Houdini tends to make a guy a little glum,” he said with a smirk, but the humour behind his words didn’t have the affect he was hoping for as Chris sat back in his seat and rolled up his window.

A cold wind swept across the plain once more, and Josh rolled his window up as it crept into the car. It was getting colder, and as the song reached its chorus, a heavy cloud of silence fell over the boys.

Chris listened to the words as he stared down at his hands on the steering wheel. Him and Josh had been friends for a long time, longer than they had been friends with anyone else in their lives. Josh was always the thoughtful one. Always the kind one. Always the brave one. And Chris was the outgoing kid who never kept his mouth shut. It got them into trouble, but trouble was always their thing. _If things were different,_ he thought to himself, just as the song had said the same thing. _I’d remember._

He wanted more than anything for things to be different. He wanted Hannah and Beth to be back home and for Josh to have the family he deserved. No more parents running off and shooting movies. No more annoying boyfriends that Hannah and Beth would bring home. He deserved Hannah and Beth, and Chris wasn’t enough. He knew it. Josh needed family.

“You put on a brave face,” said Chris, surprising even himself when his voice broke the silence. “You know you don’t have to pull that shit with me. I told myself I was bringing you out here so I could get my best friend back, but… I just wanted to feel like I was- well, enough for you.”

Josh didn’t respond for a long time, only giving Chris a look that he couldn’t read, and it made Chris anxious. Had he said the wrong thing? No, Josh knew that he was there for him. The song shuffled to Sweater Weather, and Chris looked to the AUX cord that connected Josh’s phone to his car, and as he reached down to change the song Josh’s fingers gently grabbed hold of his chin, tilting his head to the side so that he was looking Josh straight in the eyes.

“Don’t move,” he said, and he closed his eyes. Josh suddenly leaned in. There weren’t any words inside of Chris’s brain that could possibly convey the emotions he was feeling. There was panic, and then a small, holy realization. Chris liked Josh. Like… A lot. Their lips came close, and Josh touched his to Chris’s.

He pulled away quickly, and for a moment it was as if the kiss had never happened as Josh let his fingers fall from Chris’s chin. Silence stretched on once more, and Josh was looking down toward the cupholders between himself and Chris, while Chris was staring at Josh. All his life, ever since the day he met him, he knew Josh wasn’t just any regular friend. He was perfect, his tan skin always clear, his personality warm and welcoming, his jokes always well timed. He complimented Chris in a way that no one else ever did, and as Chris remembered all these things, a feeling of inadequacy made him feel sick to his stomach.

“I- uh. Josh I don’t know what to say, but… I’m mean. Oh God… I wish I could give you what you really needed, you know? You- you need family.”

“Chris don’t even start me on that shit man,” replied Josh, his voice soft and tired as it filled the car with a sense of peace. “You are family.”

“That was pretty damn cliche for Josh Washington,” Chris murmured, feeling awkward as heat rushed to his face. What else could he say when Josh was so close and after what they had just done? Would they ever talk about it again? His brain was buzzing with questions, but his body was shutting off.

As if he could feel Chris retreating into himself, Josh moved in close to him again, making Chris notice just how nicely Josh smelled. It was almost embarrassing how interesting he found him, and even more embarrassing when he remembered how much he loved being close to Josh. He always had some sort of scented body-wash that he was testing out. All summer he was into this Mango Hurricane scented stuff, but now that it was fall he had switched to something Beth had gotten him once a few years back. It smelled like peppermint and a deep forest after a heavy rain fall, a weird combination when Chris stopped to think about it, but on Josh it was perfect. He could smell it on him as he leaned in closer, nearly lighting Chris’s insides on fire as the anticipation of another kiss ripped him apart.

“I never thought in a million years that this would happen, never like this,” said Josh, his voice an odd mixture of discomfort and content emotion. Chris understood what he was feeling, since he was feeling it too. They were friends, and had been for a long time, but were they really this close? Did they really care for each other in that way? Having enough of his internal argument Chris brought his attention to Josh’s eyes as he bit the inside of his lip. They were the sort of brown that no writer could put into words and no painter could ever hope to capture the essence of.

“Don’t even get me started,” Chris said, and Josh smiled as he closed his eyes.

“I remember when I first saw you in that stupid uniform we had to wear during gym in high school. I knew then that I really liked you.”

“No way.”

“Yes way.”

“That’s when I knew that I really liked you, too.”

“Seriously?”

“Hell yeah seriously,” Chris said, and he watched as Josh’s eyes flickered from his eyes to his mouth a few times before he finally leaned in once more.  
And they kissed, hard and soft all at the same time, Chris’s heart skipping beats in his chest as the warmth of Josh’s hand on his cheek made him dizzy with emotion.  
The kiss felt perfect. The song felt perfect. This moment, their moment, felt perfect.

Above them, the sky glistened with countless stars. Beads of white against the black fabric of space. The stars weren’t the only things burning up on the inside that night.

They didn’t pull away for a long time, and as the kiss deepened, Sweater Weather fell silent.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright this gets very nsfw, thus the addition of archive warnings! And thanks for all the kudos and nice comments on this work, I really appreciate it :) AND FORGIVE ME FOR USING THE WORD COCK BUT IT WAS ONLY ONCE I SWEAR.

How long had they been kissing for? It was a question that they both knew didn’t need answering, and as Chris felt himself becoming lost in Josh, a strong wind blew across the field.

It made the tall weeds and plant life sing with subtle tones of whistles and chirps, insects becoming disturbed as the grass they clung to shifted and swayed. For some reason, Chris was aware of all these things. Aware of himself almost becoming one with Josh, of his entire body heating up, and above all else the beating of his own heart. The thing hammered against his ribcage as if to smash out of his chest was the only thing worth doing, and he held his breath Josh’s hand fell from the side of his face and came to rest on his shoulder.

“I don’t want to do anything you don’t want to,” he said, and Chris couldn’t help but open his eyes. Josh had his forehead pressed against his, the boys eyes still closed as if he we’re still feeling the press of Chris’s lips against his, and he sighed.

“I- I know how…” Chris began, but the end of his sentence tapered off, leaving an awkward sort of silence hanging in the air. He wanted to say that he knew how he felt about him, but did he? He knew how much he cared for him, how much he wanted what was best for him, how much he loved him… But what else could he see himself doing with Josh? Would anything more even happen inside the cramped space of his car?

Chris let out a sigh of his own as he sat up a little straighter, putting some space between himself and Josh.

“How do you do that shit,” he asked, his tone flat as if he already knew the answer to his question.

“What shit?” Josh asked, and he moved away from Chris, sitting back in his seat but letting his left hand come to rest on Chris’s lap. Chris looked down at Josh’s hand, hesitating for a moment before putting his own hand over the other boys, gently running a thumb up and down the length of each finger.

“How you, I mean sort of like, _sense_ what’s going on in my head before even I know what’s going on in there,” Chris finished, and for a moment he was worried that Josh didn’t understand what he was saying, but then he leaned into him again, reaching up with his free hand to guide Chris’s face towards his, and he kissed him.

The night's silence vanished as Josh’s iPod shuffled again. Dust It Off, by The Do. Chris was surprised, since Josh loved loud music, but this song was soft… Sort of like the feel of his lips against his. The kiss was something small and meek, dipped in honey so that it was sweet, and a flurry of poetic feelings rushed up to the surface of Chris’s mind. He loved Josh. That was the truth, and he wasn’t afraid to admit it to himself anymore. He didn’t have to hide those feelings or put a mask over them. Josh was with him, fully present and kissing him so softly it almost pained him. He knew then that their simple kiss… It wasn’t enough. He wanted more.

“Chris,” Josh whispered, pulling away from him just enough so that he could speak. “Let’s go home.”

“Really?” Chris asked, wondering where Josh's request came from. “Are you sure?”

“I think we’ll both appreciate the space,” he said, his voice still calm and soft. “Give us time to think about where all this is going, you know?”

“R-right,” Chris stuttered, unsure as to why he was feeling so disappointed, and he leaned away from Josh a little too quickly, making Josh lean away as well, but keeping his left hand on Chris’s thigh, and when he went to move it something inside Chris made him shake his head as he gave Josh a look. It was the song, it didn't sit right with him. 

“Do you remember when we first heard this?” he asked, nodding to the iPod, and Josh nodded.

“That movie about reincarnation,” he said, something about his body language suddenly making him seem flat and tired. “Awesome soundtrack.”

“It was about soul mates.”

“Yeah yeah, I know.”

“And I don’t… I don’t care about pacing whatever is going to happen anymore, Josh. I don’t think I can.”

“Oh thank _God_!” Josh laughed, a smile lighting up his face out of nowhere, and Chris couldn’t contain the happiness that burst inside as Josh made a fist and punched the air in triumph.

“You’re such a damn nerd!” Chris laughed.

“ _Me?_ Look who's talking!”

“Oh shut up,” Chris huffed, a smile still on his face as he reached up with both hands and put them on either side of Josh’s face, pulling him in and kissing him hard.  
The song playing from Josh’s iPod ended, ready to skip into a new beat, and before it could Josh grabbed it and yanked it free of the cord that connected it to the car. The music was distracting. They both needed to focus on the other, and Josh moaned softly against Chris’s mouth as he began running a hand up the other boy’s thigh.

Chris felt his heart go still. The moment became intense and charged with something so real it somehow let him know that Josh was just as in need of him as he was in need of Josh.

“Josh,” Chris sighed, the name almost had a taste to it, like chocolate and alcohol, but much more appealing. Warmth raced through his body, collecting under Josh’s palm on the inside of his thigh, then spreading out again as he continued moving his hand up along his leg.

“Your hearts beating really fast man,” Josh said, Chris releasing his hold on him as he draped his wrists over either one of Josh's shoulders. Josh put his free hand on Chris’s chest, running his fingers down slowly, leaving Chris breathless as he moved over his heart and stopped where his ribcage ended. What was he going to do? Was he ready for anything other than what they were doing? He couldn’t tell, but it didn’t worry him like it once had.

“I _know_ its beating fast,” Chris whispered, nearly laughing as Josh smiled as he leaned in and kissed him again. “Don’t kill me," he continued. "I’m just... Real nervous.”

“Me too,” Josh sighed, and Chris was stunned for a moment. Josh was always sure of what to do, but him being nervous could only be a good thing. Maybe it meant that his feelings we're real. 

And suddenly the hand Josh had on Chris’s thigh began to move again, and Josh kissed Chris, his mouth open and heartbeat picking up speed as he stopped over Chris's crotch and felt him hard under his hand.

Chris sighed into his mouth. Never had he felt so alive or scared in his entire life, his blood pumping through his system, flooding him with sensations and urges he had never felt so vividly before.

The hand Josh had on Chris’s chest began moving down again, and Chris fell still as Josh hooked a finger under his shirt and begin to pull up. He didn’t fight him, and in one fluid motion they pulled away from each other as Josh lifted Chris’s shirt, pulling it up and over his head before balling it into one hand and throwing it to the back seat. Chris was becoming confident, quickly understanding the way Josh moved and how it felt to have his hands where they were on him, and before Josh could move back in and kiss him Chris stood as best he could in the car. His head hit the roof awkwardly and he grunted in annoyance, and Josh laughed.

“Oh man, bro what are you _doing_?” he asked.

“Being sexy A F,” Chris said, and again Josh laughed whole-heartedly.

Chris put one hand on the side of Josh’s seat and pushed himself up so that he could step over the center parts of the car and onto Josh’s side. For a moment he was straddling the cup holders, but with one more unnecessarily large and clumsy step he was able to wiggle over and get both legs into Josh territory. Again Josh seemed to read what Chris was doing, and he moved his seat back as far as it would go as Chris settled in, his legs on either side of Josh’s as he straddled him.

“And what now Cochise?” Josh said, his face almost glowing in the moonlight, and Chris reached down the side of the seat and pulled a lever, sending Josh falling backward as his seat fell flat against the ones in the back of the car.

“I’ve got a few idea’s,” he replied, and he grabbed the bottom of Josh’s shirt, lifting it up as Josh leaned forward and raised his arms so that it would come away freely.

Once the shirt was out of the way Chris leaned forward and pecked Josh on the lips with a quick kiss before diving in head first, and suddenly he came to understand what all the fuss over _making out_ was all about. He tasted Josh on his tongue, his mouth warm unlike the cold outside, and Chris ran one hand down the boys chest, smiling as Josh flinched because it was tickling him, and eventually he came to the zipper of Josh's pants. He pulled it down seamlessly, proud of himself for not fumbling with it, and ran his hand over Josh’s underwear, feeling the outline of him, hot and stiff against the palm of his hand, and Josh groaned.

“Chris,” he breathed. “I… You know I’m not one for emotional talk… I really do like you. Just know that. I want this, with you.”

Chris understood, and it only made him want Josh that much more as he smiled against his lips, moving away from him as he kissed his chin, then his jaw, until he was at his neck, kissing and leaving wet marks on Josh’s skin. He couldn’t bring himself to stop or slow down as he dug up the courage to find the edge of Josh's underwear and slide his hand underneath, feeling Josh’s length under his fingers, and gently he guided more and more of his underwear away until he had his hand on him, moving slowly up and down as if the slightest movement might ruin everything and they’d have to start all over again.

“ _Chris_ ,” Josh moaned, grabbing Chris by the hair almost roughly as he continued kissing his neck.

“Chris,” he said again, this time almost forcefully, and Chris stopped what he was doing. Josh moved a little, letting go of Chris’s hair as he reached for the handle to his door and swung it open, letting in all the cold that they had forgotten about as they sat in the car.

“Stand up,” Josh ordered, and Chris leaned back, his hips lining up with Josh’s as he stabilized himself with both hands on the boys chest.

“What?” Chris croaked, the chill of fall already making him want to put his shirt back on.

“I said, stand, up,” Josh said, smiling almost wickedly, and Chris did as he was told. Something about Josh’s commanding tone was irresistibly attractive, and even though he didn’t want to admit that to himself, the thought remained as he shimmied sideways and pulled his left leg over Josh, releasing him as he came to stand outside his door, the black backdrop of night making him look ghostly pale.

“Stay still,” Josh said, and he sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the car so that his feet were on the ground, and he grabbed Chris, one hand on either side of his waist, and pulled him close.

“O-oh… Josh what are you-"

“Don’t talk either,” he interrupted, and again Chris found Josh’s tone to be undeniably hot.

Josh looked from Chris’s eyes down to the top button of his jeans, and as he pinched it between his fingers, Chris felt himself freeze in place as Josh lowered the jeans and slowly pulled down his underwear.

He couldn’t help but stare at the top of Josh’s head, unmoving as without warning he took Chris into his mouth.

“Oh. Oh my God,” Chris whispered, and he let his head fall back, and above him he saw the stars again. It looked like the universe was opening up, spilling out constellations as fast as it could making his head swim. Another cool breeze made him shiver as the warmth of Josh’s mouth contrasted the cold of the world violently.

“Oh my God...” Chris whispered again, and he closed his eyes, unsure of what to do with his hands. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before. He’d barely kissed anyone before that night, let alone dive right into something so heated and down right... amazing.

Josh moved back and forth, taking Chris deeper and deeper into his mouth as he worked up and down the length of his cock. Chris could feel himself getting harder, his body warming up all over, ignoring the chills pushing up his spine, and involuntarily he put his hands in Josh’s hair, moving with him as he continued sucking. Back and forth. Back and forth. Every muscle in his body wanting to contract as Josh pulled back, his tongue on the the tip of his head, and then shatter completely as he dove back down, taking him fully into his mouth as Chris felt himself hitting the back of Josh's throat.

“Josh. Josh man, I’m-” He couldn’t finish his sentence, the words in his head melting together as his entire body relaxed and tensed at the same time, and Josh didn’t stop.

“J-Josh,” Chris stuttered, moving to pull out of his mouth, but Josh held onto his hips, keeping him where he was as he moaned, and Chris couldn’t hold back anymore.  
He jerked his hips forward, Josh anticipating the motion and moving with it, and a hot streak of liquid shot into his mouth. He kept moving, ignoring the taste and sucking as Chris’s lungs made a gasp for air and he came again, shooting more into his mouth and hitting the back of his throat. He swallowed hard, and Chris’s stood before him shaking, hands gripping tightly at his hair, and slowly pulled back, making Chris flinch as his body spasmed with the intense aftershock of releasing all its pent up sexual wants and needs.

He stayed down on Chris, slowly taking him into his mouth as the swallowed again, the taste of him still strong as he pulled back and let Chris fall from his mouth. 

“Bro,” Josh murmured, his voice low, husky in that stereotypical masculine movie-style sort of way, and he looked up at Chris. “That was hot.”

“Yeah,” Chris replied, completely lost in all that had happened. "Ten out of ten... Would do again."  

“And, bro…" Josh continued, speaking louder this time. "That was freaking. _Disgusting_.”

Chris nearly doubled over as he started to laugh, the combination of Josh’s hilarity and the cold biting at his bare skin making the whole situation feel surreal, and for some reason Chris couldn’t stop thinking about something Mike had said. It was about Josh and how he said the word ‘Bro’ more times in a sentence than he said the word ‘The’ in any given conversation. “Take a shot every time Josh says 'bro'!” he once yelled at a party, and everyone laughed, especially Josh. He was always able to laugh at himself. Chris loved that.

“Do you have to be home at a certain time? Because I don’t,” Josh smirked, and Chris smiled down at him.

“Dawn,” he said. “We have until dawn.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End Note: This chapter wasn't really emotion heavy, just because I really wanted to see what it felt like to write something sexy with no shame lol, and it was a great experience. Next update will have more fluff and emotion, have faith ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't believe I haven't updated this in 5 days I'm a monster! But so is college... So I'm cutting myself some slack haha :). and I have an announcement to make about this story! I'm really excited with what I've come up with, I think it's going to get a lot of people ready for... Well, you'll see eventually haha, enjoy another update!

Chris lay in bed, his stomach in knots as he tried to fall asleep. Things were haunting him, images of Josh and Hannah and Beth. Frozen moments in time of when the sisters were alive and Josh was happy, all flashing in his head as he nearly dozed off. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t sleep. Sure he was still giddy after his late night out with Josh, but ever since then things had only been getting better and better with him, so why still be nervous around him?

Three days had passed since they drove out in Chris’s car, and for each of those passing days they found a reason to spend time with each other. Josh’s parents barely noticed his absence as the two drove around town, stopping at scenic places or diners, and the more Chris noticed the apathy of Josh’s parents the angrier he got.

What was wrong with them? They lost two children already and their third was bursting at the seams with hidden distress. Chris knew deep down that no matter how much Josh reassured him… He wasn’t enough. Josh was like a ship, lost at sea for longer than any other of its kind, and it’s shell was breaching, filling with water fast. Chris felt like the only one on deck. The only one capable of filling in the holes while steering the ship to shore through hellish storms, but one person could never man an entire boat.

His analogy for Josh made him feel nostalgic for childhood as he lay awake, eyes focused on the ceiling as he remembered the feeling of Josh’s bare skin against his. He would roll over after the thoughts became too heated, trying to relieve the heat by focusing on sleep, but it never helped. Josh was too much a part of him now, and if he sank, Chris would sink too whether he wanted to or not.

Through the darkness Chris could barely make out the posters that covered the walls of his room. The Evil Dead, he had two posters of that movie, Josh loved it as if it were his own creation. Einstein was looking rather fancy as he rode a big wheeled bicycle in another poster, and Chris smiled to himself. He was crazy about Einstein, that genius who contributed so much to the world he knew, and the poster made him remember the time Josh nearly drew over the mans moustache with permanent black marker.

“Think he’ll look better?” he asked, and Chris almost died on the spot.

“You wouldn’t _dare._ Not my homeboy Einstein!”

But of course Josh _would_ dare to attack Einstein, and attack him he did, Chris could still see the small swipe of marker in the bottom right corner of the poster nearly hidden in the darkness, and he frowned.

Was there not a single thing in his room that didn’t remind him of Josh? _Nope,_ he sighed inwardly. _Definitely not. Everything is Josh. Even I’m Josh in some alternate universe I bet. Who knows._

Sleep didn’t seem like a thing he was capable of that night for some reason, and as he settled in for a long night of tossing and turning, a buzzing on his nightside table made him jump.

He looked over as his phone lit up, layering the room in a soft sheen of pale white light, grinning as he saw Josh’s name flash across the screen. He reached for it, pulling up the sheets of his bed awkwardly as he leaned and stretched out one arm and grabbed it. When he pulled back he knocked his glasses off the table and cursed as they bounced under the bed.

He didn’t care about the glasses, not when Josh had texted him at, like, two in the morning.

 ** _Afternoon bbg, what you up to my sweet sweetie?_** Oh Josh… He was being sarcastic, calling him sweetie was sort of his new thing, and though it was goddamn annoying it always made Chris laugh. It was so grade nine of him.

 ** _R U ever going 2 give that shit a rest!?_** Chris texted bitterly, hoping Josh would sense the smile behind the words. He must have.

**_Sleepless night hun?_ **

**_100%. U?_ **

**_Mhmm what else is new._ **

Suddenly Chris wasn’t smiling as hard. Josh wasn’t the type to ask for help or vent about his problems, but Chris could read between the lines. Josh was having nightmares, probably about his sisters as he wondered where they were. And not to mention his problems with hallucinations… Where they getting worse? They hadn’t talked about all that stuff in a long time, and Chris wanted to change that even though he didn’t know where to begin. He made a mental note that said to bring it up later. For now he would keep playing Josh’s game.

 ** _I can think of some ways 2 get u 2 zzZZ._ ** Chris texted, and he smirked at his phone as he imagined all that would go through Josh’s head. As long as it distracted him from his anxieties, he was happy.

**_Rly, like what?_ **

**_Well… I hear melatonin helps._ **

**_REALLY NOW. I was thinking of something else entirely!_ **

**_Maybe we both were :D._ **

**_You’re such a nerd its almost painful ;)._ **

**_But I’m UR nerd._** Chris texted back, and then something odd hit him as he put the phone down on his bed and sat up. He had just said that he was Josh’s, but this time it might not be a joke. They’d do that sometimes, call the other some sort of name, and they’d always retort with ‘but I’m YOUR’ - _insert whatever the name was_ \- and this time felt different. Maybe it was a good kind of different, signifying the inevitable relationship between them finally starting to grow.

 _Was it really inevitable?_ Chris asked himself, and he sighed as he leaned over the bed and scanned the floor with his hand for his glasses. After a brief search he found them, and when he came back around he pushed them up onto his face, smudging the right sense with his thumb but ignoring the blurs in his vision. He focused on his glasses for a moment too long and dropped the phone onto his bed. _God_ he was clumsy.

When he found his phone in the mess of sheets he fumbled with it as Josh responded.

 _ **Chris… I really wish you were here.**_ Chris read the text the way a person would a death certificate for a loved one; slow and pained, but knowing that damage had already been done. He sniffled as he pulled the sheets up and wrapped them around himself. His room was starting to feel cold.

 ** _I’ll come over, you know I will._ ** He texted back, and after a minute of no response from Josh he nearly started to panic. Before he could his phone buzzed in his hands again.

**_Nah it’s cool dude. But what do you say to a drive tomorrow? I’ve got a special destination in mind._ **

“Thank God,” Chris said to himself. “He’s still with me… Jeez.”

 _ **Yup yup.**_ He texted back. _**Always up for it, as long as its not our… Final Destination…**_

_**Broooooo you’re KILLIN the horror refs recently!! I want to go early. You good with that?** _

_**Yup.** _

_**You sure?** _

_**YUP!** _

_**K look out your window there hot stuff.** _

Chris gave his phone a funny look as he dropped it onto his bed and stood, almost hitting his head on his ceiling fan but narrowly dodging it. It reminded him of the night he first kissed Josh, hitting his head on the roof of his car awkwardly, and he could already feel his cheeks heating up at the memory.

 _Window, dude, now._ He ordered himself to bring the blankets with him instead of find a hoodie to throw on, and when he walked to the window he looked outside. His room overlooked his backyard, and through the window he couldn’t see anyone standing there, until something moved and his eyes focused on a tree in the back corner near the thick wooden fence. It was Josh, waving his arms over his head, but in the darkness Chris couldn’t make out his expression.

His phone vibrated somewhere on the floor behind his bed, and he realized that when he took all the blankets off it must have fallen. He grunted as he dove back onto the bed, fighting with the sheets as he got an arm loose and dug behind his bed, struggling to get his arm to fit between the wall and his bed until he felt his fingertips brush against the phone.

“Josh this _better_ be worth it,” he groaned, but he knew that it would be as he chuckled at his ability to always get himself into uncomfortable situations, and finally, he got to his phone.

 ** _Wanna go now?_ ** Josh had texted, and Chris smiled as he pushed the bed sheets away and found a shirt and hoodie to put on.

 ** _Where too miss?_** He texted back, pulling on a pair of socks and quickly changing into sweatpants. He was dressed in record time… Awesome.

 ** _The stars…_ ** Josh texted back, and Chris shook his head as he went back to the window. Josh was standing in the center of the backyard now, holding something over his head.

“Bro you better not start playing music, hoe don’t do it…” Chris murmured, and he opened the window, the glass sliding up as he pulled from the bottom, just as a song began playing from whatever Josh was holding over his head. “Oh my _God_.”

And what other song could have played other than the one that started it all only three days earlier? Sweater Weather, that rainy day tune giving Chris chills, and Josh held an old school sound system over his head, the kind that guys from the hood held over one shoulder in nineties movies, and Chris almost burst out laughing. Josh was standing in the center of the backyard, letting the song remind him of all that happened that night in the field. It could have been louder, much louder, and Chris was thankful that he at least had the sense to not put the thing on full blast, but still, his parents could wake up.

Chris looked to his phone, smiling even though a part of him wanted to be annoyed, and he texted Josh.

_**Ur something else man!!!!!!!** _

Josh set the oversized radio down on the ground and reached into his pocket, the glow from his phone illuminating everything from his chest up. Chris felt his stomach twist the memory of kissing Josh as he noticed that the was wearing the same vest he was when they first kissed.

 ** _Promise me something._** Josh texted, and Chris gave his phone an odd frown.

_**Anything. What?** _

_**Promise. You won’t disappear.**_ Josh texted, and Chris clutched his phone firmly in his hands as he closed his eyes for a moment. Josh was still afraid, after all that they’d done together, that Chris would somehow leave him or disappear completely.

But how could Josh have known that he loved him? He tried his best to show it, but he was scared of letting everything out. He saw things in Josh that he saw in himself, the dark parts of him that needed to be dulled or sparked back to life with daily doses of some sort of medication. Chris couldn’t help but get anxious. He was being selfish, worrying over nothing, and above all else being a prick as he noticed what he was doing. He watched Josh time and time again as he came down from the good mental states he was in for a few days, only to slip into a week of monotone replies and dull expressions. He went through every up and down with him, and though the surface of it all wasn’t too bad, the deeper consequences of Josh's mental problems we’re horrifying. Chris hated himself for not being able to do anything to help him, but more so for being thankful that it wasn’t him having to go through what Josh was… He felt guilty, because he always felt relieved to not be the one rolling with inborn trauma and absent parents.

He’d repay him somehow, without having to admit to him that he loved him or that his illness made him think selfish things… To say those words out loud, that he loved him… It _hurt_ for some reason. He knew that if he was patient the answer as to why it hurt would come to him. But right now, Josh was waiting on a reply.

 ** _I’m not going anywhere Josh…_ ** He texted back, and he watched Josh’s reaction through the darkness. He was biting his lip nervously, had he picked that tendency up from Chris?

 ** _I promise._** Chris texted again. Josh relaxed, and so did the tense feeling in Chris’s center.

And Josh stood in Chris’s backyard, the cover of night making him hard to see as he stared down at his phone, appreciating Chris’s text, and Chris stared at him from his room, a soft smile letting a thoughtful look rest his features. _It’s too cold, for you here…_ The boombox sang, and Chris listened. _So let me hold, both your hands, in the holes of my sweater…_


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter in my lil nugget of a fic, but this isn't the end...

Neither Chris nor Josh slept at all that night, Josh’s old memories too painful and Chris’s chronic need to worry pushing away any hopes of sleep. It was a simple night, Josh driving Chris around town, pulling over when he thought he saw something noteworthy, until they decided to leave town and drive to the open field they first kissed in. Ten-Eighty, they called it, since it had that sort of crystal resolution to it no matter when they went.

They talked all night, the conversation not focusing on any real subject as it started simply until it eventually lead into family issues. Chris was close with his mom, and saw his dad as more of a guidance tool when he needed serious help with something, but Josh didn’t have much of a relationship with either of his parents outside of their work as photographers and film directors. They were more like teachers than parents. Chris didn’t know what to say, he wasn’t real good with emotional talk, but when compared to Josh who practically had no skills whatsoever regarding the subject, Chris wasn’t that bad.

The sun had just begun rising by the time they reached the dirt road that lead to the field, Josh remembering every turn Chris took days before in order to get there, and Chris was impressed. Josh was hot, a good singer, and some sort of photographic-memory genius.

 _Unfair,_ he whined inwardly, but he laughed at himself as he looked to Josh as he drove, thumbs drumming against the steering wheel as he talked about his dad’s latest project. The man had a series fetish for horror, and so did his son. Chris didn't mind that at all.

“Almost there,” Josh said, letting his animated gestures die down as he vividly described the gory special affects on film sets. “Turn right here, right?”

“Yeah, A plus A plus,” Chris beamed, and Josh winked at him. _What a tool._ He knew Chris ate that playful stuff up.

“1080 Resolution here we come.” And Josh turned the steering wheel with the palm of his hand, the wheels of his car bumping over stones and moss beaten branches as they passed underneath, and Chris revealed at the nature of his new world. It was hard to imagine a world before the one where he was actively making out with Josh. What took them so long? Chris laughed out loud, and Josh gave him an interested glance as his eyebrows bunched together.

“What’s got you in stitches my _sweetest_ little _sweet_ heart?” Josh asked, raising the pitch of his voice as he spoke the words sweet and Chris rolled his eyes dramatically.

“It’s hilarious how long it took us to just accept the fact that we had the hots for each other.”

“Eh well all good things to those who wait,” Josh snickered, and again he winked. Chris smiled at down at own his lap thoughtfully, and Josh looked back to the dirt path just as they reached their fabled clearing.

It was as beautiful as ever, putting the Mona Lisa to shame along with any other famous painting Chris could think of. It was clear that October hit the place hard over the past few days, drying out tall weeds while leaving the wild flowers nearly dried husks of their former glory. There was beauty in the slow demise of the field, however, and Chris listened for the chirping of crickets or the croak of frogs as he watched the wind send ripples across the plain. There was no life left for him to hear.

Josh put the car in park and took off his seatbelt, reaching into his vest pocket as he opened his door and got outside. Chris followed him, happy to be back in the field but confused as Josh produced a small carton of cigarettes from his pocket.

“No way you’re starting up,” Chris groaned, and Josh gave him an apologetic frown.

“A lot of shits been going through my head. I dunno man, I can’t explain it. It’s just relaxing.”

“You know what else is gonna be relaxing?”

“What?”

“Being in a casket at thirty.”

Josh threw his head back as he laughed, his eyes closing, their corners making tiny wrinkles, and Chris wanted to kiss his temples even though it might seem weird. He couldn’t be mad at Josh for smoking. He couldn’t be mad at him for anything really, he needed all the help he could get, and sometimes slow but guaranteed self-destruction was exactly what the soul needed.

Chris paused and thought over what had just gone through his head, and Josh’s laugh regressed to a simple grin as he fished a small red lighter out of his other pocket.

_That was real poetic Chris, like, nice. I should write that self-destruction soul thing down._

He was brought back to reality by the smell of smoke, sweet in some ways but corruptive in others. It made him wrinkle his nose as he compared the sad scent to the beauty of the field. He ignored it as he walked around the car and put an arm around Josh’s middle, and Josh put an arm around Chris’s shoulder. They began walking, Josh blowing smoke out and away from Chris, but small bursts of wind directed some of it back in his direction. He pretended it didn’t bother his eyes. He could feel Josh relaxing, just like he could the night they first kissed. Maybe he wasn’t lying about that whole smoking thing. As long as he didn’t end up smoking more than three a day Chris didn’t think it would be that bad… But damn, what did he know about cigarettes?

“I just got tired of all that other stuff, ya know?” Josh sighed, and Chris watched him through his peripheral. He looked tired again, and after playing a part in keeping Josh up all night _again_ , Chris felt guilty. What kind of friend was he? Or perhaps friend wasn’t an appropriate term any more.

“Stupid question probably,” he said, ignoring his thoughts as he continued walking in time with Josh. “-But what do you mean by _other stuff_?”

“Anxiety meds,” Josh said simply, and he brought his cigarette to his lips, pulling in lightly, letting the hand fall back to his side again, and exhaling. The motion itself seemed soothing in a way Chris couldn’t understand.

“Okay,” Chris said. “I mean, you know I’m gonna support you… I just don’t want to see you get sick or anything.”

“I think I’ve got pretty good self-control.”

“Me too,” Chris murmured. “That’s why I’m not freaking out at you right now.”

“Good.”

“Good.”

And they walked in silence till they came to the edge of the field, the forest beyond a twilight zone drenched in sepia and earthy undertones in the early dawn. Josh let go of Chris as they neared a large tree, finishing his cigarette with a final puckered inhale. Chris stood back as he watched Josh, the boy putting one hand on the tree to balance himself as he closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh of what looked like relief. He pressed the butt of the cigarette into the trees bark, and Chris tilted his head to one side. For a moment he thought about what they would do if the tree caught fire, just randomly bursting into flames and burning down the whole forest.

 _Man what is up with my imagination today?_ He asked himself, and he pushed the thought away. _Don’t be annoying man, stop worrying._

He watched as Josh pinched the now dead and stubby cigarette butt between his fingers before reaching into his pocket and pulling his carton of smokes out again. He lifted the top and threw the butt inside.

“Uh, you sure thats how you do that?” Chris asked, and Josh shrugged.

“Like Mr. McGowan said in grade five,” Josh smirked, his eyes squinting as a knowing smile spread across his face, and Chris instantly knew what he was talking about.

“ _Littering ain’t cool bro!_ ” They said the words in unison, bursting into a fit of laughter as they relished in their elementary school hilarity.

“He was such a weirdo wasn’t he?” Chris laughed, and Josh sat sat down at the base of the tree as he crossed his legs.

“Who dedicates an entire hour to explaining the dangers of littering to _kids_?” Josh smiled, and Chris joined him at the base of the tree, crossing his legs as he nestled in next to him. Josh put an arm around Chris’s shoulder, and Chris rested his head on Josh’s arm, looking up at the leaves as they danced in an unfelt breeze overhead. This tree wasn’t like the others. It’s bark was old, dry and brittle against Chris’s back through his hoodie, but its leaves we’re beautiful and thick. October hadn’t fully caught up to this particular tree, green still clinging with all its might to its leaves, only allowing certain branches to take in the effect of the worlds tilting axis.

“You know,” Chris breathed, still looking up at the tree through his glasses. “I don’t wanna be _that guy_ , but what are we?”

Josh watched Chris in astonishment, then suddenly, a low chuckle transformed into a fit of laughing. “B-boyfriends maybe?” he stuttered between giggles, and Chris shook his head.

“ _So_ childish and _way_ too gay!” he announced, raising his voice for dramatic affect, and he couldn’t hold in his own girlish giggles anymore.

“Hmm I wonder why,” Josh sighed thoughtfully.

“How about partners in crime or something?”

“Now _that_ sounds gay.”

“Fuck it then,” Chris chuckled. “ _No labels_.”

“As long as we can still do this,” Josh said, and he leaned in, Chris already feeling his body moving closer to Josh instinctually, and they kissed. For a little while it was nothing more than their usual sort of kiss, soft and sincere, but then it transformed, Chris feeling Josh breathe in deeper and move closer, and it deepened.

Chris could taste the smoke in his mouth, covered up by the faint taste of toothpaste, though he wanted to scowl at the feeling it left in his head, he couldn’t help but lean in even more, pushing into Josh as he tilted his head to one side and kissed him harder. He didn’t care what Josh did. Smoke. Get into weed. Drink nothing but alcohol for the next week for all he cared. As long as he knew when to stop. He couldn’t control him, he wasn’t his father, but he needed to protect Josh… He needed to.

“God…” Chris sighed, and Josh felt Chris’s moan in his throat as they kissed, but something felt off. He pulled away, and Chris didn’t open his eyes.

“What is it, Chris?” Josh asked, and Chris remained still, eyes closed in serene concentration on something going through his head.

“I’m realizing how completely _fucked_ I am.”

“Why’d you say that?” Josh chuckled, and Chris let himself smile in the smallest of ways.

“I’m fucked, cos’ I honestly give so much shits about how you’re going to end up.”

“ _So much shits_?” Josh repeated, his disposition painfully kind and light-hearted. Chris opened his eyes and nudged him with his shoulder.

“Meh you get it,” he said, playing off his heartfelt confession, and he knew deep down that Josh hadn’t taken it lightly. But still, he didn’t respond, and they sat for a moment, holding each other tenderly under the weathered tree that must have been older than they were. What secrets did it hold? Had it seen a lot happen in the field? Chris loved analyzing small things like that, it distracted him from bigger problems, like the possibility of losing Josh to a tsunami of inner turmoil.

 _Tsuuunamiiii,_ Chris said in a deep voice inside his head. The electronic song starting at its chorus and playing in his mind, and he was happy.

“I’m moving.”

The words left Josh’s mouth, and the world fell silent. Not a winds breath or insects wingbeat sounded, and Chris could only hear the beating of his heart, slow and even. How many more moments would Josh put him through that mimicked this exact one? He knew that there would be more. He was hurt. Confused. Not a single solid thought could form in his head.

“Oh…” he muttered, trying to look Josh in the eyes, but the boys gaze was on the circle that his legs made in front of him, the ground beneath dry and brittle, so he settled for looking at the side of his head. Chris didn’t know what else to say. No… He might lose Josh. He might lose Josh!

“Have you heard of… Arcadia Bay?” Josh asked, and Chris shook his head. The world remained silent. “Small town in America, Oregon,” Josh continued. “Real small… I’m transferring to a school there for a semester.”

“A semester,” Chris repeated, and relief gathered in every muscle of his body as if it wanted to burst through his skin. “Just a semester…”

“Yeah, its a fine arts and science private boarding school.”

“Oh thank _God_! Jesus Josh! Thank God!”

“Huh? What you going on about?”

“How could you start that announcement off with _‘I’m moving’_ man, how am I supposed to know whether its forever or just a few months! And hold up a sec, what the hell? Its already October anyway, what gives? School started a three weeks ago.”

“Right,” he laughed. “I’m sorry I’m sorry.”

“Thats not funny man! I-“ Chris felt himself getting emotional, and he knew that it was justified, but he hated looking sad in front of Josh. “I thought I might, just like, lose you or something.”

“Never,” Josh said, almost too quickly as he turned to look Chris in the eye. For a long moment they didn’t say anything, and the world fell back into place, the wind picking up pace and reminding Chris that it had never truly quieted down.

“Come here,” Josh said, and he pulled Chris closer to him with the arm he had around his shoulder, but Chris repositioned himself as he sat up taller, leaning in and kissing Josh’s cheek. As he pulled back, another strong gust of wind shook more leaves from the tree, showering their moment with orange and red and green, a gift from nature possibly, since those colours only appeared once a year, and Josh turned to Chris as he closed his eyes.

They brought their lips together, kissing slowly as to enjoy each others warmth, Josh’s lips feeling the way Chris imagined the way a cloud would if it were something he could feel against his skin. A flurry of poetic emotion slowly crept into Chris’s mind, spreading out over the rest of his body and showering him in a halo of autumns vibrancy and warm thoughts of Josh. A semester without him couldn’t be that bad. But could he handle College life without _him_? No, Josh wasn’t a baby, he had to stop worrying. He couldn’t protect him from life itself… He had to live.

“I want you to come with me,” Josh whispered, his voice nearly lost with the sound of winds.

“What?” Chris murmured, letting his forehead rest against Josh’s, eyes still closed in appreciation of their proximity.

“Apply to Blackwell… Come with me… Lets just leave all the memories we have of this place behind, huh? Lets make new ones, far, _far_ away.”

“Wow, Josh,” Chris sighed. “I… That’s a real trip, man.”

“Just across the border.”

“And I don’t know if I’d have the money to dorm there.”

“Don’t pull that modesty shit with me,” Josh grinned. “You’re a smart kid. There’s an entrance exam for the science programs. Your grades were good in high school and I think you’d ace that entrance exam. You could get a scholarship like I did with the photography program.”

Chris was quiet, and he pulled away from Josh slowly as he opened his eyes. He saw Josh leaning away, shivering silently as more of October’s wind ran through his vest, and Chris sighed.

“I know you want to leave this place bad, Josh…” Chris started, but his thoughts wouldn’t form right in his head. Why couldn’t he say anything? Did he even know why he was hesitating so badly?

“But?” Josh said, and with his free hand he took one of Chris’s hands in his. Chris looked to the watch Josh wore on his wrist and watched as the second hand ticked… ticked… ticked away. Each second felt ten times longer than it should have, and as he watched the second hand continue its sluggish motions, Chris gathered his thoughts and looked Josh in the eyes.

“I’m just shitty with change,” he said. “You know that.”

“Well one thing would be constant,” Josh said, and the corners of his mouth hopped upward slightly, but fell back down before a smile could cross his face completely. “I’d be there.”

“I know,” Chris sighed. “I know… I honestly don’t know why I’m hesitating.”

“It’s because you’re scared,” Josh said. “I get it, but we’d be back before you know it, promise.”

“No it’s not that, man, really. It’s something else. Something I don’t even think I know about yet. I’ve just got a… A real weird-ass feeling about this whole situation. Like, total Final Destination premonition vibes.”

Josh squeezed Chris’s arm with the hand he had around his shoulder, and Chris looked him in the eye.

Josh’s eyes were an intense shade of brown, nothing like he had ever seen on any other boy in his life. If Josh thought that Chris had nice eyes, then his own were the eyes of a God.

_Easy there Edger Allen… No time for poems, just be brave dammit! BE BRAVE!_

“Okay!” Chris yelled, throwing his arms in the air dramatically as he frowned in mock frustration. “I’ll apply! But if I don’t make it in you better get your ass a nice new partner in crime.”

“Thats my boy!” Josh yelled, and he let go of Chris as he threw his arms in the air too. “You’re my one and only partner in crime, bro! Promise!”

“But I’m nervous A F!” Chris shouted, and he smiled as he forced himself to stand up.

“Chris you _meme loving fuck_ we’re gonna become art students!” Josh screamed, his voice echoing across the plain, and he stood so that he could pull Chris into a hug, and Chris wrapped his arms around Josh’s middle while Josh kissed his cheek more times in three seconds than Chris could count.

“Hey… Life is strange,” Josh said, the words making Chris tilt his head to one side as he looked off into the distance. _Life is strange… isn’t it_ , he thought to himself. Had he heard that term before?

“What could go wrong?” Josh finished, and Chris looked back to him, smiling wide as he accepted his fate. He would go to Blackwell, and with Josh by his side they’d totally rip the place a new one.

“Right,” Chris said. “Life _is_ strange… Everything happens for a reason, right?”

“Damn right… And Chris, you know I love you right?” Josh said, and just like that, the course of their lives become something unstable. Chris nodded his head, but didn’t respond. He could feel something _shifting_ in some weird way, but he didn’t know why or what, so he ignored the sensation of falling in his stomach and focused on the field around them. It truly was different during the day, but all Chris could think about was how, for some inexplicable reason, this may be the last time he ever saw it again.

“I know,” he said, and Josh smiled as he leaned in and kissed him, hugging him harder as he rocked from side to side. “I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it, the final chapter that leads into a multi-chapter Until Dawn crossover fic with Life Is Strange! Josh and Chris will further their relationship, and far more mysteries will come to light... I'll post the first chap soon! This will be a 3 part series :) Happy October!


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